When it seems the job is done, a wounded and weary Simon learns there is still work to be done.

User Rating: 8 | Castlevania II: Simon's Quest NES

Underrated and overlooked, Castlevania II is most recognized for setting the base for Symphony of the Night but also for some annoying moments, which will be covered.

The story takes place right after the first Castlevania. After defeating Dracula, Simon realizes injuries inflicted upon himself, injuries which were inflicted along with a curse from Dracula, slowly killing him. He soon learns that he must go to five mansions across the land to collect some of Dracula's body parts and then destroy them in Dracula's castle to lift the curse.

The task sounds hard, but really, the game itself is easier than most make it out to be. There are a number of minor to moderate flaws which sometimes can leave the player participating in a wild goose chase, such as some poor dialogue translations. But, without spoiling anything, most things that are complained about are actually hinted and talked about in secret books hidden inside some walls in the mansions, which make the quest easier than it could be.

Castlevania II was one of the first games that featured multiple endings, three in total to be exact. Depending on how many in-game days it took the player to complete the game would decide which ending would be shown. Because of how fairly easy it is to get lost the first time around, usually the first time one beats Castlevania II, a bad ending is given, but because of this, the replay value is obviously increased.

Good: A world free to explore * Fantastic soundtrack * Multiple endings ups the replay value * Great graphics for its time * Wide variety of weapons and items available * Sharp controls

Bad: Poor dialogue translations * Easy to get lost * Some cryptic puzzles almost force you to look up a guide * Overall proves too easy for a Castlevania title * Disappointingly easy final boss

Graphics: Usually when it comes to 8-bit games, there isn't much to discuss graphic-wise, but this is one of those uncommon exceptions where one has to say that the graphics, even for what it's on, are honestly pretty good. There are better games with better graphics on the same console, but the graphics were quite an improvement since the first Castlevania, mostly scenery-wise.

Sound/Music: Most of the sounds were carried over from the first entry, but some new ones were, of course, added. As for the music, the soundtrack has to be one of the best I've personally heard in any Castlevania game, so far it's my favorite soundtrack of all of them.

Difficulty: Taking into consideration that some of the puzzles that left you chasing your tail for a good while, almost all of the answers were hidden in secret books which could be found in the walls in the mansions, which usually gave away almost exactly what to do. Forgetting that, the overall difficulty is honestly easy. When you game over, you don't start all the way back elsewhere, but basically the same position you died at. Also, projectile items take no hearts away at all except for one. This game can be completed in a very short amount of time, and is probably the easiest entry in the entire Castlevania series. It seems that Konami tried to focus more on puzzles than the actual gameplay itself.

Gameplay: Although still a platformer in the style of the first Castlevania, this one is a little different. Some would say it's like Zelda II, some would say it's like Symphony of the Night. It is true, Castlevania II was the base for Symphony of the Night with the RPG-like elements and the free and open world to explore, mostly removing any linear gameplay. Leveling up was also an element introduced in the Castlevania games with this one. It also featured day and night cycles: daytime made enemies weaker and you could talk to people and enter shops and houses in towns. Night time made any feature in towns unavailable such as entering houses, and instead of people roaming the towns, zombies would roam. Also at night, enemies were twice as strong. It was a feature executed exceptionally well and fit the mood better.

Controls: As I said earlier, the controls are quite sharp. Some might disagree and say they're complicated, especially with the jumps. Jumping is easier than in the first Castlevania really. Once the controls are mastered and perfected, this game is a breeze.

Overall: Summing it all up, there is both good and bad in this game, most take the bad over the good and turn their backs on this game. The game is not that bad, in fact, it's pretty damn good. It introduced some new features and elements, most of which were great and fitting especially for a Castlevania title. If you like the Castlevania games, I would definitely recommend this, but again, be warned, some of the puzzles are tedious and might push you to using a guide. Don't be ashamed of doing so, you certainly wouldn't be the only one, but if you like avoiding using them like I do, double-check some of the mansions for clue books.